It is strange how silent such discrimination goes on amongst women living with HIV in our society and it is not spoken about in public. Women and their children have continued to suffer lacking basic means to sustain their livelihoods because they do not have support from their husbands or family members.Nakamate Doreen (not real name) 28, a young mother to a nine year old girl shared her story of stigma and discrimination.
“Because I was disabled and found difficulty maneuvering long queues during clinic days, accessing my medication became a challenge whenever I visited the health facility.” Narrated a smile Nakamate.
“There was a gentleman who offered to help me and was always there whenever I wanted assistance. As time went on, we developed feelings for each other and we fell in love. I fell pregnant for him shortly after and gave birth to a baby girl” she continued.
Not all were roses when he introduced Nakamate to his relatives.
She said she started being stigmatized immediately because of her disability and it worsened when the relatives discovered her HIV positive status.
Her boyfriend then abandoned her and their child on pressures of his family and started a new life elsewhere.
“During the COVID-19 lock down, I had challenges with transport to pick my medications. I did not even have money to buy basic for my child and I,” she said
Nakamate said she struggled to keep on her regiment without food and tried to contact her child’s farther for support in vain. With no success, she resorted to advocacy where.
She tells her story to provide leadership to fellow young women and uses her platform to advise other younger women to embrace who they are, disabled or not, HIV positive or not to stand up against discrimination and demand their place in society.
